Process for electrically welding highly-electrically-conductive materials



Patented May 11, 1926.

AUSTIN H. HART, OF

GREENWICH, CONNECTICQ'T, ASSIGNOR TO- ROME RADIATION COMPANY, moi, or ROME, NEW roan.-

IROCESS ELEGTRICALLY WELDING HIGHLY-ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE MA- TERIALS.

No Drawing.

This invention relates to a process for electrically welding highly electrically conductive materials, particularly materials such as copper and brass orsimilar alloys. It is a, common practice to electrically weld high resistance materials such as steel and iron by bringin the surfaces of the materials to be welded 1n the closest possible contact by high pressure and passing sufiicient electric curnlo rent through said materials to cause their surfaces to weld. Numerous attempts in the past have been made to weld highly electrically conductive materials by this method without success, as the very low resistance of these materials prevented development of suflici'ent heat by the passage of the electric current between the surfaces of the materials to effect the weld before the entire materials were reduced from a solid to' a fluid 2 condition and squeezed out from between the electrodes. b

The object ofthe invention is to provide a process whereby highly electrically conductive materials may be welded together. This object is accomplished bycreating an artificial resistance to the passage of the electric current through the materials'to be welded as it passes between the electrodes during the welding operation.

' In order to accomplish the above object experiments were made at various pressures and it was found that by bringing the surfaces of the highly electrically conductive materials, such as copper or brass, in contact between the.electrodes with a pressure not "greater than 400 pounds nor less than 100 less than 100 Application filed September 28, 1925. serau No. 58,194.

pounds, according to the composition and thickness of the materials, the passage of the electric current through such materials will cause them' to be welded without burning or deteriorating the same.

By. way ofcillustration it was found that brass sheet composed of 66% copper and 34% iinc required an approximate pressure of 235 pounds to effect the best; weld. An increase incopper content and a decrease in zinc context; would require a lesser pressureto be appli d or a decrease in copperconte'nt and an increase in zinc content would require a greater pressure to accomplish the best results. However, the pressure in no case would be greater than 400 pounds nor pounds at the point between the electrodes. v

What I claim is:

An electrical welding process consisting in bringing together highly electrically conductive material, subjecting the materials between the electrodes to a pressure less than 400 pounds but greater than 100 pounds according to the composition and thickness of the materials to. be-welded and then passing an"; electric current through the electrodes and the materials so as to develop sullicient heat between the surfaces of the materials to effect a weld.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

AUSTIN H.,HART. 

